It is reported that North Korea fired two unidentified missiles into the East Sea on the morning of the 25th. This is the fifth armed protest in the new year.
According to a military source, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected that it fired two missiles presumed to be cruise missiles around 8:30 a.m. on the same day and is currently analyzing its specifications.
However, unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles do not violate UN Security Council resolutions, so even if military authorities detect them, they are often not immediately disclosed to the media.
Cruise missiles are difficult to detect with land or sea radars if they fly below a certain altitude due to their flight characteristics.
On the 11th following the 5th, North Korea conducted a test-fire of a ballistic missile claiming to be a ‘hyper-sonic missile’. On the 14th and 17th, two short-range ballistic missiles KN-23 and 24 were launched respectively.
Han Ji-hye, reporter for Donga.com onewisdom@donga.com
